As Battle With NRA Looms, City Scales Back Its Gun Laws
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia officials are taking the unusual step of suspending some of the city's gun laws in order to better defend other local gun laws in a pending battle with the NRA.
The NRA is suing Philadelphia over its local gun laws. The Nutter administration has challenged the right of the NRA to bring that suit but, in the meantime, city attorneys are preparing for the NRA's case.
This led to a request by the administration to City Council to suspend about dozen gun laws that have been on the books for decades but are not currently enforced.
Deputy chief solicitor Richie Feder said removing those old laws will allow the city to better defend about six more recent and vital gun restrictions:
"The Law Department is recommending that the Council suspend the effectiveness of various ordinances relating to firearms, so that they don't create an unnecessary distraction when we're defending some of the very important work that this Council has done."
The Council committee agreed, approving the plan and sending it to the full Council for a vote. The NRA contends that only the state has the right to regulate firearms, but its ability to file suit only came last year with a new state law allowing third parties to bring suit.
Among the laws that the city will continue to defend is one requiring reporting of lost and stolen firearms.
